ATFT Trauma Mission to Haiti July 2010

Phyll and Howard Robson, UK

When we heard of the disastrous earthquake that struck Haiti on 12th January 2010, we immediately thought that TFT would have much to offer to the traumatized population, after the initial rescue and emergency interventions.

Haiti had already had a troubled history, being occupied by European colonists, the extinction of the native population, and replacement by African slaves, when plantations and logging provided great economic benefit for the colonists, but at a cost to later generations of Haitians, deforestation causing soil erosion and mud-slides. Despite achieving independence over 200 years ago, the country has been marred by violence, instability, poverty and corruption; there is a lack of infrastructure and susceptibility to hurricanes.

When the opportunity to visit Haiti came later in the year, on behalf of ATFTF, we were in a position to volunteer. We were to be part of a mission led by Dr Jean-Murat Carolle (Angels for Haiti), which was part of a larger medical mission led by Dr Charles René.

We immediately thereafter began collecting supplies for the visit, especially as part of the project was to enable the children to express themselves through art; this included pens, paints, brushes, books and paper, as well as some medical and dental supplies and toiletries. We were particularly grateful for the help of our dentist and family and friends.

We were also grateful for the provision of the TFT algorithm manual in French from Suzanne Connolly, which we modified slightly for the local requirements, and printed sufficient copies for our expected training sessions. We managed to obtain a reasonable rate from the airlines for our considerable luggage excess.

Essential to visiting a country such as Haiti is to understand the local culture, attend to personal safety and health (vaccinations and anti-malarial drugs). We attended to these issues as much as possible, to maximize our contribution to the mission and not be a burden. Read more

A Note from Carolle Jean-Murat, MD – TFT Haiti Relief Mission

Dear Joanne:

Once again, please receive my heartfelt thanks from me as well as those who were trained in the TFT techniques, those who have received and continue to receive such invaluable tool to help them mitigate their suffering following the earthquake.

I finally had a chance to post something on the Angels for Haiti blog. Here is the link Haiti Trip.

The ATFT Foundation (charitable arm of the Association for Thought Field Therapy) provided a generous grant and the gracious help of a husband and wife team Dr. Howard and Nurse Phyll Robson, both TFT trainers from England. We provided a 3-day training involving 30 Haitian teachers, nurses, community leaders, medical and nursing students, from as far as Port-au-Prince.

The training not only helped them personally but also gave them the opportunity to help relieve the trauma of as many earthquake survivors as possible. Even more importantly, trainees learned techniques on how to relieve pain, which would be beneficial in an area when medical personal and pain relief medications are scarcely available.

I have talked to some of the attendees in Haiti for these past few days. Here is what they had to say:

“In a culture where a mental illness is frowned upon, the TFT training gave us a new perspective on how we humans work. This tool is a lifetime gift. Many of us now see our fellow human being in a different light.”

“After taking the training, it has helped me improve my communication with those I serve.”

“After losing everything including my home, family members, and everything I worked for, participating in the TFT training gave me a new lease on life. I am now a healthy citizen who is using the tools I have learned to help those who were suffering just like me.”

“As a teacher, I use these techniques with my students; their attention span in the classroom has greatly improved.”

“It was such a great gift that we received from the Robsons – who taught from the heart”

Many community leaders also asked me to convey their heartfelt thank to the TFT team.

With love and gratitude,
Dr. Carolle
_______________________________________________________________________
Carolle Jean-Murat, MD

Dr. Carolle’s Wellness & Retreat Center of San Diego offers:
· Intuitive Medical, Gynecological, Surgical Second Opinions (by Telephone & In Person)
· “Life Transition Decisions with Clarity” Consultations (by Telephone & In Person)
· Healing Seminars & Customized Retreats for Women
“I work with women who are ready to heal and want a healthy path for a quality life.”
Visit www.DrCarolle.com or call 619-741-7261.

ATFT Haiti Earthquake Trauma Relief Update – Carolle Jean-Murat, MD

Once again, please receive my heartfelt thanks from me as well as those who were trained in the TFT techniques, those who have received and continue to receive such invaluable tool to help them mitigate their suffering following the earthquake.

I finally had a chance to post something on the Angels for Haiti blog. Here is the link Haiti Trip .

The ATFT Foundation (charitable arm of the Association for Thought Field Therapy) provided a generous grant and the gracious help of a husband and wife team Dr. Howard and Nurse Phyll Robson, both TFT trainers from England, we provided a 3-day training involving 30 Haitian teachers, nurses, community leaders, medical and nursing students, from as far as Port-au-Prince.

The training not only helped them personally but also gave them the opportunity to help relieve the trauma of as many earthquake survivors as possible. Even more importantly, trainees learned techniques on how to relieve pain, which would be beneficial in an area when medical personal and pain relief medications are scarcely available.

I have talked to some of the attendees in Haiti for these past few days. Here is what they had to say:

“In a culture where a mental illness is frowned upon, the TFT training gave us a new perspective on how we human work. This tool is a lifetime gift. Many of us now see our fellow human being in a different light.”

“After taking the training, it has helped me improve my communication with those I serve.”

“After losing everything including my home, family members, and everything I worked for, participating in the TFT training gave me a new lease on life. I am now a healthy citizen who is using the tools I have learned to help those who were suffering just like me.”

“As a teacher, I use these techniques with my students; their attention span in the classroom has greatly improved.”

“It was such a great gift that we received from the Robsons – who taught from the heart”

Many community leaders also asked me to convey their heartfelt thank to the TFT team.

With love and gratitude,

Dr. Carolle

_______________________________________________________________________
Carolle Jean-Murat, MD

Dr. Carolle’s Wellness & Retreat Center of San Diego offers:
· Intuitive Medical, Gynecological, Surgical Second Opinions (by Telephone & In Person)
· “Life Transition Decisions with Clarity” Consultations (by Telephone & In Person)
· Healing Seminars & Customized Retreats for Women
“I work with women who are ready to heal and want a healthy path for a quality life.”
Visit www.DrCarolle.com or call 619-741-7261.

Fireworks Gone Bad! TFT for Trauma.

Fourth of July in the United States is a major Holiday where were celebrate our independence and birth as a Nation. Most businesses are closed in observance of this patriotic occasion.

Major cities around the world have festivities, parades and concerts. The night ends with awesome displays of bursting color and light forms dancing against the dark backdrop in the sky. The Awe’s, Oh’s and Wow’s from the spectators can be heard echoing under the magnificent burst of light with loud pops and bangs.

For many living in the outskirts of the city or for those who choose not to travel into the crowded cities, friends and families come together and celebrate with each other at their homes. They create their own excitement and shoot off their own fireworks.

But, what happens when an exciting, fun filled evening turns bad? My 22 yr. old nephew, was in a rural area enjoying the festivities with other family members. After a day of boating and swimming, everyone sat around the campfire as several of the adults went over to the secured area to shoot off their own fireworks.

That’s when the evening turned disastrous. As soon as my nephew lit the fuse on his firework, it exploded in his face. Since it was dark, it was hard for anyone to determine how bad he was. There were several EMT’s at the party who started administering care right away. The closes ambulance was too far so they rushed him themselves to the closest hospital emergency center. His parents were 3 hours away and no one could get a hold of them.


The day after the accident.                            Healing underway

At the hospital, they had to remove various shrapnel from his forehead and eyes. He had 3rd degree burns over his face and forehead and his eyes were badly burned. They did what they could and advised getting him to an ophthalmologist as soon as possible. A friend drove my nephew home so we could see about getting him additional medical attention. Since Monday was a holiday, we could not find a doctor who was open.

When I found out about the accident, I immediately called my sister-in-law and told her that I would come over to work with both of them. She was pretty shaken up when he got home and saw how bad he was. I always have my clients tap the side of their hand to clear any reversals, just in case. Next, I showed her the trauma algorithm and then had her to the anxiety algorithm. She said that there was noticeable difference in her anxiety and she felt much calmer.

My nephew was in major pain and traumatized over the ordeal. I immediately had him start tapping the side of his hand to keep his polarity out of reversal. I instructed him do this as often as possible. Since he could not move his eyes without intense pain, I used myself as a surrogate when doing the pain algorithm and the trauma algorithm. Since most of his face and eyes were badly burned and blistered, I tapped the spots on me, holding the intention for him. When it came time to do the 9 gamut sequence, I tapped his gamut spot and did the eye movements myself. He said it did help some.

In addition to TFT, I gave him Bach Rescue Remedy under his tongue and on the areas that only had 1st or 2nd degree burns. His Uncle had recently bought an “Amega – zero point field energy wand” which we started wanding his face and eyes every couple hours.

My sister finally found an ophthalmologist who could see him on Tuesday. The doctor said that his right eye was traumatized with blurry vision and the left eye had a severe burn on the cornea. The doctor prescribed a steroid drop and antibiotic to prevent infection. He told him that it could take 2-3 months to restore full vision in the eye if he even got full sight restored. The doctor told him to come back on Friday for a follow up.

I continued to work on my nephew with the TFT, Rescue Remedy cream and the “Amega” wand. We also kept after him to treat for reversals by tapping the side of the hand.

On Friday, the doctor could not believe how improved everything looked. My nephew could barely open his eyes on Tuesday. Now, he not only had them opened, the right eye was almost normal and the left eye had 80% vision restored. The scabbing on the face/forehead was pretty much gone and there was no real sign of scarring. He now only had a egg size area where the 3rd degree burn was.

Chrissy Mayhew TFT-Adv.
Well Within Reach

Tapping Away The Pain From Haiti To Rwanda

haiti trauma relief
Joanne Callahan, President, ATFT Foundation

There are currently two TFT healing and training teams, teaching local community leaders how to help their neighbors, families and colleagues how to tap away the pain of loss, trauma, grief, despair and fear.

ATFT UK Foundation’s board members, Dr. Howard and Phyll Robson, have joined a healthcare team led by Dr. Carolle Jean-Murat, California, providing community outreach for many in La Vallee, Haiti. Howard and Phyll are treating many and more importantly, are teaching a group of 32 leaders, clergy, teachers and professionals in TFT trauma relief. They will leave behind a TFT skilled and caring group to continue helping others.

They will soon be traveling to outlying areas with their new TFT trainees to support them as they begin to help the many children and refugees from the devastated Port Au Prince area.

This model of teaching the local people to carry on with the healing tools of TFT has proven to be very successful in Uganda and Rwanda and we expect similar results in Haiti.

The ATFT (USA) Foundation’s trauma relief team, Suzanne Connolly, Caroline Sakai, Gary Quinn and Cyndi Quinn, have also just begun training a new group at the TFT algorithm level, and are scheduled to begin a diagnostic level training for those trained in previous years. They will also begin two follow-up studies to the work done in Kigali and Byumba in 2008 and 2009.

Haiti TFT helpsThey said they were welcomed with smiling and appreciative faces, friends from their previous trips, all telling stories of how TFT has helped their community over the last year.

Rwanda has been an excellent example of how these missions can grow to serve an entire region. The IZERE Center (Reconciliation and Peace) in Byumba, Northern Rwanda has now been successfully helping the people of their region with TFT trained therapists for a full year.

Please help us carry on this much needed work. If you wish to help or contribute with further missions to Haiti or Rwanda, please click this link to the ATFT Foundation.

TFT Relief In Haiti – La Vallee de Jacmel

The commune of La Vallee de Jacmel is situated in the Southeastern portion of Haiti and is comprised of 18 townships dispersed throughout the territory. The area was within the epicenter of the devastating earthquake of January 12 and its deadly aftershock on the 16th. There are about 4,500 homes that had an average of 3 to 5 members. The majority of these homes were badly damaged or completely destroyed.

Following the earthquake, they have become overloaded with relatives – young and old, who had emigrated to Port-au-Prince or Jacmel, survived the earthquake… but have lost everything. The average household is now 15 to 20.

Many who survived the earthquake are now dying of sadness, heart attacks, or just “going crazy.” I guess that it is a way for them to “check out” because there is no hope.

We are elated about the idea of offering a 2-day training that will help alleviate the suffering of our people. Little help have reach them since the earthquake last January the majority of the population is living under tarps and few tents with no hope in site.

Godfroy (Gody) Boursiquot , is the leader of a NGO CODEHA – Corde Enfant Haitiens a member of the Angels For Haiti . CODEHA’s headquarters is in area called Au-Tuff, not too far from the main town of Ridore, where the hospital where I usually provided free medical care is located.

Gody will be the one coordinating the training and will gladly keep tract of whatever information that you need regarding the effect of TFT on the population of La Vallee de Jacmel and its surrounding areas. I am sure that with time, trainees will eventually return to other areas of Haiti armed with an excellent tool for healing. This is truly a great – win-win opportunity for all involved. TFT could not have a better opportunity to be introduced in a country and be recognized for its healing values.

We are contemplating offering the two-day training to people in position to affect many others such as teachers, nurses, community leaders, medical and nursing students (the only medical school in Haiti was destroyed killing most of the doctors, patients and medical students), etc. Imagine all these people living under tents or tarps themselves. I would also be a great opportunity FOR THEM TO HEAL WHILE LEARNING!

We plan to give a certificate of completion to each participant. We will extend the training to those in the county of La Vallee as well as those who can make it from Port-au-Prince and other areas devastated by the earthquake.

We feel that training 60 people would be a good number. It will cost us $100 per person. This would include providing food, lodging and arranging for transportation from the remote villages, for a total of $6,000. This may also include having them stay an extra day and arrange for people to come for treatment – this of course would increase the cost.

In view of the threat and the acuity of the mental health deterioration, I have already told my medical team that I would not spend time delivering medical care, but be with Guy, for whatever time it takes during our stay to make this a success.

Thank you so much for offering this opportunity to the earthquake victims. I am confident that it will create a lasting impact in their lives, as well as given them a tool for healing others as well.

Love and blessings,

Dr. Carolle

If you would like to contribute to this very worthwhile cause, please email us and we’ll provide you with more details.

TFT Featured In Quantum Health Magazine

tft-articleEnergetic Medicine Research recently featured Thought Field Therapy in their Quantum Health magazine.

Dr. Callahan’s life-long quest for more effective ways to help clients–without the need for them to suffer during the healing process—has resulted in a simple yet highly effective method of healing negative emotions, including the debilitating effects of trauma.

TFT works across all age groups, genders and cultures – even other species (dogs, cats, horses, etc.)

One of the aspects of TFT of which we’re most proud is that it is perfectly safe. We’re aware of no cases of harm over 30 years of healing. This degree of safety is rare in today’s health care systems.

TFT can have the most profound and immediate impact on the life of an individual, indeed of the world, by healing the effects of trauma. The world is filled with the agony of trauma from natural disasters to the man-made violence of war, genocide and terrorism. When people become stuck in trauma’s vice-like grip, we see a continued cycle of violence.

Victims become perpetrators. Their lives are filled with anger, hatred, revenge and violence, unable to feel hope or joy. The need to open their hearts to peace, compassion and hope for the future–and break this cycle of violence–is vital to our existence as a species and our planet as a whole.

The ATFT Foundation is deeply committed to its mission of providing TFT trauma relief to those who need it, wherever that may be in the world. Effective TFT trauma relief can be done quickly and at no cost to needy communities. Additionally, it can be taught to local leaders in a couple of days, enabling them to capably continue the healing long after the foundation team has left.

These humanitarian and educational efforts are refined and improved with the aid of research. After several missions to traumatized areas throughout the world, the ATFT Foundation has developed a dynamic model for volunteer response to large-scale trauma anywhere in the world.

Our first indication of how truly effective TFT can be in the face of horrific large-scale trauma was in Kosovo. Dr. Carl Johnson led several teams of TFT practitioners to this war-torn country, where they found that using TFT to treat victims of the war produced a very high success rate that has held up over time. (Johnson, C., Shala, M., Sejdijaj, X., Odell, R., & Dabishevci, D. (2001). Thought Field Therapy: Soothing the bad moments of Kosovo. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 57(10), 1237- 1240).

Since that time, the ATFT Foundation has sponsored many TFT trauma relief missions throughout the world. The research that has been conducted during some of these missions clearly demonstrates TFT’s high level of effectiveness with severely traumatized populations. During more recent efforts, in Rwanda and Uganda, the teams left in place an infrastructure of trained TFT therapists to support their local communities with trauma relief and healing.

quantum-magazineIf you are interested in learning more about how TFT is helping others, you can download a PDF of the magazine here.

The ATFT Foundation has sponsored TFT trauma relief work throughout the world. The extraordinary results have been consistent and stood the test of time. It would be both economically and logistically difficult, if not impossible, to accomplish this kind of large-scale trauma relief with more traditional, long term therapies. TFT allows us to help those populations and regions that are often underserved and neglected.

The ATFT Foundation’s trauma relief blog is a resource for all to learn TFT trauma relief procedures. It is free of charge and in many languages. Share this site with anyone who needs help.

If you wish to help support any of these programs or learn more about them, visit the ATFT Foundation at www.ATFTFoundation.org.

Free Trauma Relief to Friends and Family of Haiti Earthquake Victims

Haiti Earthquake trauma

While it is much too soon to begin to think about helping with the psychological traumas of the survivors in the after effect of the massive earthquake in Haiti, it is important to begin the psychological healing of the families and friends who are living elsewhere, and providing trauma relief for the rescue crews, first responders, troops going in to serve and their families. Even the press and viewers are being effected by the constant stream of heart wrenching images and reports of losses.

The ATFT Foundation has provided Thought Field Therapy® (TFT), the original meridian tapping therapy for trauma, to victims of wars, genocides and natural disasters, including Hurricane Katrina and the floods in Tabasco, Mexico.

TFT has been safely used to heal psychological problems for 30 years, and PTSD studies have demonstrated it to be highly effective in quickly eliminating the debilitating effects of even the worst of traumas with lasting results.

Early and regular use of these safe, self-applied protocols, can reduce or eliminate crippling grief, secondary traumatization, compassion fatigue and burn-out of our rescue workers and first responders. TFT can also reduce the stress and fears burdening the families of the rescue workers and response teams on the ground.

To this end, the ATFT Foundation’s TFT Trauma Relief Blog teaches these TFT trauma relief procedures in English, Japanese, Chinese, German, Russian, Spanish, French and Italian. These procedures are the very same, powerful tools used successfully in Kosovo with war victims, Rwandan genocide survivors, New Orleans Hurricane Katrina victims, and other traumatized regions.

The TFT Trauma Relief blog also has 34 powerful stories about how TFT has relieved the trauma of war, suicide, genocide, kidnapping, prison, massive burns, rape, etc. Our most recent story is Juanita Van Ham’s account of how TFT transformed her experience after being severely traumatized in a bank robbery.

The tapping techniques are provided in print and video formats, to all who are in need.

Please, if you have any family or friends that have been affected by the devastating earthquake in Haiti, or have loved ones deployed in the rescue efforts, take advantage of these free, powerful self-help tools.

Go to www.TFTTraumaRelief.wordpress.com .

You can also receive a Free Stress Relief Guide, at www.RogerCallahan.com.

Our prayers are with Haiti.

Creative Commons License photo credit: markyturner

Show Your Appreciation For Our Veterans

TFT timeshare for Vets

Freedom R & R’s with Timeshares for Vets

ATFTF Foundation Provides R & R Retreats with Timeshares for Vets

In late 2008, the ATFT Foundation partnered with Timeshares for Vets to provide our returning veterans and families with an opportunity to enjoy a much earned vacation and have the benefit of TFT for the stress and trauma of their service.

While the process of establishing and building the Freedom R & R’s program has been slow, the result is now something we are proud to be a part of and I believe is providing a much needed service for our returning veterans.

I wish to thank those who have dedicated many long hours of hard work. Herb Ayers and the Columbia Basin Veteran’s Resource Center have served as the base for our volunteer coaches and mentors, and a resource for our veterans. Sheila Crouser, a vet herself, and our ATFT administrator has put in many long hours working with the vets to find a resort that fits their needs. Chrissy Mayhew has worked with our volunteer web designer, Mark Perry, to design the Timeshares for Vets web site. Roger Callahan, TFT’s founder, is donating his book, Tapping the Healer Within and Bob Bray is donating his book, No Open Wounds, to the veterans. They both are also volunteering with coaching help as have many of our other practitioners.

I have been working with legal, structure, press, and organizations to bring in additional media, and funding. We will be working with BuyATimeshare.com to be able to accept full timeshares, have the donations sold and the funds given to the foundation. This will help provide much needed revenue for the travel costs for the program.

I would like to thank our generous timeshare donors: Bob MacMahon, TFT Dx, JoAnn and Alan Kilpatrick, Lei-Lynne DooHorvick, and Randy and Lanet Johnson. They have provided the resort vacations that are making this project a reality.

It was so very gratifying to hear from our timeshare recipient just returning from his week in Glacier, Washington. He went with his girlfriend and said it was so relaxing, he felt he had a total reset. In fact, they were having such a wonderful time, they got married while at their Freedom R & R.

atft foundationWe have veterans and families scheduled to go to some great locations, coming up, Las Vegas, NV, Klamath Falls, OR, Glacier, WA, South Florida and South Lake Tahoe, CA. Applications for our program are increasing all the time. We need more timeshares, so if you have or know anyone who has an unused timeshare, please let them know they can help support and thank our troops and returning veterans with the ATFT Foundation’s Freedom R & R’s program with Timeshares for Vets. We could also use help with travel for the veterans. If you have airline miles you can contribute please let us know.

For program information and veteran applications, you can go to www.ATFTFoundation.org. Timeshare donors can also go to www.TimesharesforVets.com

Click Here for more information on how you can participate with the Freedom R & R’s for our veterans.

Thought Field Therapy Helping Survivors of Genocide

project-rwanda ATFT

Izere Center in Nyinawimana Parish, Byumba Diocese in Rwanda

Thought Field Therapy (TFT) was the answer to a mother who sought help for her son recently.

Her boy was unable to attend school because he had intense rages, threw and destroyed things, and went into tantrums and tirades.  He was physically robust, and his petite mother appeared overwhelmed and exhausted with his supervision and care.

These rages were triggered whenever he didn’t want to do something, or didn’t like something, or when he did not get his way.

The treatment algorithms for oppositionality (psychological reversal), anger, rage and trauma were demonstrated to the child and mother.

The child was not initially cooperative, but tolerated being tapped by mother after psychological reversal was treated.  Then mother was warned that a thought field that would induce the rage might be created right then and there, to check the effectiveness of this treatment.  Mother seemed apprehensive, and she, the Rwandan therapist and ATFT team support therapist first moved out of the immediate range of his kicking and hitting.  Mother was asked to instruct the young boy to give the water bottle he was playing with to his mother, so he could do the tapping sequences.  He started going into a tantrum, and the reversal was done by the Rwandan therapist and his mother.

Much to both their surprise, the boy’s tantrum abruptly stopped, he gave the bottle to his mother as requested, and he started tapping himself.  He calmed down and tapped on all the meridian points himself.  He was not grunting, whining, yelling, kicking, throwing things, or hitting—but smiling, and wanting to repeat the treatment.

Mother worked with TFT with the same algorithm for her own frustration, and reported feeling the calming response herself and the remitting of her own intense emotions.  She made an appointment for a TFT follow-up visit for herself, and for help with parenting support at the Izere Center.